Kidnapped
by Tarrant
Summary: The team works a kidnapping. Sam and Bailey friendship


Kidnapped.html Disclaimer: Sam, Bailey, John,George, Chloe, Angel and the rest of the profiler gang don't belong to me, but I think they should. LOL ;-) I don't make money from them, I just take them out to play once and a while.

Rated: I'm not sure so I will probably choose a higher one than necessary. Lets just say R to be on the safe side.

Classification: Not real sure about that either. How about general for a change.

Authors note: This is a little bit different style than most of my work. I still belive in SBR but, today, this one just appeared. Hope you like it.

'Kidnapped'   
By Tarrant

"So you think that our guy knows his victims?"

"Yeah, I do. Look at the violence, its personal, Bailey. He feels he has a reason to kill these people."

"We've gone over all of the victims, we can't find one thing to link them together. It doesn't appear they know each other."

"But he knows them. Somehow, he feels a connection to them."

"Okay, we'll keep working that angle. Anything else?"

Sam shook her head and grimaced a moment. "Sorry, that's all right now."

Bailey smiled a bit. "Its okay, its a good start."

They were having lunch in a small cafè near headquarters. As the conversation began to lull a bit and they moved on to lighter topics, the food arrived. When they had finished lunch, Sam excused herself for the bathroom. When she returned, she stood at the table, "Ready to go?"

"Uh, Sam, sit down for a minute."

She looked a bit surprised but complied. "What's up?"

"Sam, I just got a call from the Director. He has a case he said needs your attention."

"I have a case that needs my attention."

"It's a kidnapping, Sam. A four year old girl."

"What do we know?" Sam asked instantly, already switching gears mentally from the other, now forgotten, case.

"Small town, right outside of Chicago. Elmhurst. Fairly wealthy area, but still a working mans area. White collar. The mother was taking the child to a dance lesson late yesterday afternoon. She stopped at a stop light the back door opened a young male reached in unhooked the seatbelt and she was gone. This morning the family received a note demanding money."

Sam had leaned closer to Bailey trying to hear every word in the now crowded cafè but now she sat back a little. "Seems pretty straight forward to me, Bailey. Why me? The field office usually handles this kind of case."

"Sam, the note was attached to a video tape. It contained some... graphic pictures of both little girls and boys. She is in a lot more danger than just not coming home."

Sam nodded her understanding. "When do we leave?"

"Now. We go back to the VCTF and grab a chopper there. The Director is having copies of the files faxed to George now. You should have them before we take off."

Sam fished around in her purse for a moment and then held up her phone. Bailey nodded and waited while she called home. He could tell the news she wasn't coming home, wasn't being welcomed easily.

"I know Chlo, I know. I said we would make them tonight, but it will have to be tomorrow. I'm sorry baby, please wait, I want to help you, okay?" There was a moment of silence, and then Sam smiled. "Thank you Chlo. Tell Angel I'll call her later okay? Oh and Chloe, I love you."

Sam turned off the phone and give Bailey a sad look. "What were you supposed to make?"

"Chocolate chip cookies. And you know what, I think I need them more than she does." She said sighing heavily.

Sam scooted out of the booth and Bailey followed her. He paid the check at the register and then turned towards Sam. He guided her out the door and they walked briskly back to the office.

Half an hour later Sam, John and Bailey were on the helicopter, taking off. Sam had left off her headset while she looked through the file. The noise of the pilots talking to the tower and to each other as well as other conversations were not welcome when she was trying to concentrate. After a little bit she glanced up and rolled her shoulders and neck. Bailey tapped her knee and she reached up and put on the headset.

"Anything?"

"Not really. I need to see the tape and I want to talk to the mother."

"I'll set it up."

Sam nodded and then took off the headset again. She spent another hour looking over the file and then she closed her eyes and let her mind work. She was just about to talk to Bailey again when she felt the chopper shudder a bit and then take a very sudden left path. About that time, Bailey reached out in time to keep her from cracking her head on the wall of the chopper. He steadied her a bit and when she could she reached up and put the headset back on.

"What was that?" Sam asked, with a twinge of fear cracking her voice.

"Sorry Dr. Waters. Seems that there are a few new pilots in the air today. Had to make a sudden move to avoid a collision with one. I hate flying near Chicago. The pilots fly as badly as they drive on the ground."

Sam let out a sigh of relief as they finally touched down. There was a car waiting for them and the trip to the victims home was quick. While John went to look at the area where the kidnapping took place, Sam and Bailey sat down to interview the mother. She was really beyond distraught and unfortunately not much help. Sam decided that she would try again later when she could be alone with the mother. So, she motioned to Bailey and they left the house.

"She can't give me much now."

"Yeah."

"Let's go look at the scene."

Arriving, they saw john crouched down on the sidewalk next to the road.

"Did you find something?" Bailey asked.

"I don't know, what do you think, Sam?"

It was a small pile of cigarette butts. "Looks like maybe he was waiting here for a while. So, maybe it isn't a random kidnapping. I think maybe he knew who he wanted. I'd say he has been planning this. He contacted the family pretty quickly, the cigarettes suggest he waited. Bailey, find out if anyone has seen anyone watching the preschool this child attends."

Bailey nodded and reached in his pocket for his cell phone. In minutes George was searching police reports.

Bailey, Sam and John went to check into the hotel. Sam threw her ready bag in a chair and shed her shoes. She took the file over and lay down on the bed. After a few moments she pulled the tape out and moved over to the VCR. She popped the tape in and looked around for the remote. She crawled back on the bed and finally pressed the play button. The dective that gave her the tape, had warned her of the contents but she still had to look at it. After a few minutes she stopped the tape and looked around for some tissues. She hated this part of her job. She didn't want to know about how dark things could become.

After a bit she started the tape again and watched as long as she could. She had just stopped the tape again when there was a knock on the connecting door. Sam wiped her eyes again and then said loudly, "Come in."

Bailey was not really surprised to find Sam upset. He gave her a sad smile. "You done yet?"

"No. I.. Uh... I had to stop the tape a couple of times."

Bailey nodded. "You want me to come back?"

"I guess."

"Okay."

When Bailey was gone, Sam sat quietly for a bit before she pushed the play button again. When she finally finished the tape she had a sudden urge to take a shower. She was just coming out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel when Bailey again knocked on the door.

Sam opened it and then turned away from him. "You about ready for a break?" He asked.

"Do we ever stop relating our work to our personal lives?" Sam asked suddenly.

"I don't think that's possible, Sam."

"Yeah well, it doesn't help me concentrate when all I can think about is going home and putting my arms around Chloe and never letting her go."

"You're allowed to be human, Sam. You are allowed to want to protect your child and want to be with her."

"Yeah, well, while I am busy being human, this child is being subjected to things not at all human. I can't get any read on him. But I don't think he will return her if the ransom is paid. He really isn't after the money, the demand is just there to buy time."

In the morning, Sam set off alone to meet again with the victims mother. Gently and slowly she led the woman through the events of the day when her daughter disappeared. She spend several hours talking with her and asking questions. Finally she moved to sit next to the woman. "Mrs. King, I know you have told me what you could. And I am going to do everything I can to find Cathy. Try to hang on, she's going to need you when she comes home."

The woman nodded and Sam softy touched her arm.

When Sam met back up with Bailey and John at the police station, she was full of new information and ideas, but not ready to talk about them yet. She wanted to look at the tape again and she needed a computer expert. She needed George.

"They have the money ready to deliver. They are waiting for a call for instructions."

"Good but as I said, I don't think the money will help. He doesn't really plan to let her go. Bailey, some of the children on that tape, they didn't survive. I don't think he plans to return Cathy alive. Look, I have some ideas, but I need George and I need him here. I want to do a frame by frame with that tape. I want to see what's in the background."

"I'll call him. I should be able to get him here in a few hours."

Sam and George spent hours working on the tape. Back and forth and frame by frame they worked. They tried hard to concentrate on the background of the tape and not the subject. But after a while they couldn't ignore it. Sam was about to give up and take a break. She didn't think she could stand looking so closely at the children anymore when George pulled up another frame. Sam glanced at the screen again and then she grabbed George's arm. "Look, in the right hand corner. George, blow that section up."

He furiously punched away at the computer for a moment and then the right hand corner zoomed in and took up the screen. "We got him, George. We got him."

They looked at each other and smiled.

Sam nearly danced over to the phone and called Bailey. "George is faxing you a picture, Bailey. We ran it with the NCIC already. I have an address."

It only took about an hour to recover Cathy and bring her home to her mother and father. She was going to need a lot of counseling but she was alive and safe. Sam and Bailey decided to celebrate over dinner.

"So, where did you find the picture?"

"On the tape, a mirror in the room caught his reflection. One frame, can you believe it?"

"You all did a good job today. I know it wasn't easy."

"She's home, Bailey. That's all I need. Well, almost all. Do you think you would mind if we took off tonight, I would really like to have some chocolate chip cookies."

"Is seven o'clock okay?"

"Perfect, we can have warm cookies and milk before bed." Sam smiled. "Thanks, Bail."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
